Les Chambres de la Vaulx-Renard

Les Chambres de la Vaulx-Renard occupy an old estate in the Amblève valley, among the meadows and woods between the village of La Gleize and the Coo waterfalls, in the municipality of Stoumont. The fief is recorded from 1343; the present building was raised in 1778-1779 by the Benedictine monks of Stavelot Abbey: a quadrangle with farm buildings on three sides and the residence on the fourth, still marked by weather vanes bearing the wolf, the abbey's emblem. The same family has owned the house since 1835.

Restored in 1955 and open to guests since 2022, it is run by Damien Goffinet and Sophie Bronne, who live here. The four rooms are on the second floor; in the tower, a 50 m² shared lounge with kitchenette is where breakfast is served. Outside are a garden, a terrace and an open-air reading corner. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is 18 km away and the town of Spa about 11 km.

The welcome is that of a family home: the owners live on site, are glad to advise on walks and visits and, on request, arrange transport for guests travelling without a car. The private infrared sauna can be booked, as can massages; a babysitting service is available.

Free private parking, Wi-Fi throughout, entirely non-smoking. Pets are not allowed. Families with children are welcome in the suite, with respect for the quiet of the house.

The rooms are named after the four villages visible from the windows. The Monceau suite, 35 m² facing south-west, has a double and a single bedroom, suited to a couple with a child or three adults, and a bathroom with a bathtub. The Coo room, facing south-east, is decorated in gold and black with a 6 m² bathroom with bathtub; Cheneux, 22 m², has warm colours and a shower room; Gleize, 21 m², floral wallpaper and a 9 m² bathroom with shower.

All rooms have a private bathroom, heating, toiletries, hairdryer and Wi-Fi; goose-down duvets and feather pillows are available on request. There are no televisions in the rooms. The tower lounge offers guests a minibar, kettle, Nespresso machine and microwave.

Breakfast is included: homemade with local produce, it is served every morning in the tower lounge, overlooking the meadows around the house.

There is no restaurant on site. For lunch and dinner the owners recommend places nearby, from the village brasserie to restaurants in Stoumont, Coo and Spa, a few minutes' drive away; the shared lounge has a minibar and microwave for guests' use.

Stoumont lies in the Amblève valley, in the Belgian Ardennes, in the province of Liège. The village of La Gleize, a few minutes away, is home to the December 44 museum on the Battle of the Bulge; the Coo waterfalls and the Plopsa Coo park are about 8 km away, with kayaking and mountain-bike routes along the river. Marked footpaths leave from the house through meadows and woods, and the Congo viewpoint overlooks the valley.

Spa, with its thermal baths and the springs nature reserve, is about 11 km away; the Spa-Francorchamps circuit 18 km, Stavelot and its abbey about 15 km, and the Remouchamps caves at Aywaille some twenty kilometres. Liège is about 45 minutes by car.